Infodays/conferences

Belgian info session on ERC Starting & Consolidator Grant 2020

16 May - Palace of Academies

The National Contact Points (NCPs) for ERC in Belgium (NCP Belspo – Eurofed, NCP-FNRS, NCP Flanders) jointly organise info sessions to help applicants in the preparation of their ERC proposals.
ERC Starting & Consolidator Grants are open to researchers of any nationality with a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal, in any field of research.
ERC Starting Grant and ERC Consolidator Grant have yearly calls. The 2020 calls will be the last calls in the framework of Horizon 2020. The opening of the Starting Grant 2020 call is expected in Summer 2019 with a closure in Autumn 2019. For the Consolidator 2020 call the closure is expected beginning of 2020.
Applicants shall have been awarded their first PhD > 2 and ≤ 7 years prior to 1 January 2020 for the Starting Grant 2020 call and > 7 and ≤ 12 years prior to 1 January 2020 for the Consolidator Grant 2020 call (extension of eligibility period is possible in certain circumstances).
More information on ERC Starting Grants and on ERC Consolidator Grants.

Participation to the info session is free and open to any researcher wishing to apply with a Belgian Host Institution.
Registration is mandatory, before May 9.

Belgian info session on MSCA Individual Fellowships 2019

7 May - Palace of Academies

This MSCA Individual Fellowships info session is organised by the National Contact Points (NCPs) for MSCA in Belgium (NCP Belspo – Eurofed, NCP-FNRS, NCP Flanders) to help applicants in the preparation of their MSCA Individual Fellowships proposal.
MSCA Individual Fellowships has yearly calls. The opening of the call 2019 is expected on the 11th of April 2019 with a deadline on the 11th of September 2019. The call will be open to experienced researchers from across the world.

Applicants need a doctoral degree or at least four years’ full-time research experience by the time of the call deadline.
More information about Individual Fellowships on MSCA website.

Belgian info session on ERC Advanced Grant 2019 call

26 April - Palace of Academies

This ERC info session is organised by the National Contact Points (NCPs) for ERC in Belgium (NCP Belspo – Eurofed, NCP-FNRS, NCP Flanders) to help applicants in the preparation of their ERC Advanced Grant proposal.

ERC Advanced Grant has yearly calls. The opening of the call 2019 is expected in May 2019 with a deadline on August 29. The call will be open to established, leading researchers of any nationality and from any field of research, with a track-record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years.

The "H2020 - no financial errors.be" information session is organised on April 2 2019 in Brussels by the European Commission in close cooperation with the Belgian Legal and Financial National Contact Points.
The aim of the event is to explain to Horizon2020 project partners how to avoid errors in Horizon 2020 project reporting. Topics such as personnel costs, other direct costs, third parties, lumps sum grants will be covered during this whole day event.
Participation is free but registration is mandatory (registration is open until March, 25 – questions to be submitted by March, 15).
More information and possibility to register on the event website.

General

New European IP Helpdesk

A new contractual period of the European Intellectual Property (IP) Helpdesk initiative has recently started with the new team of four partners from Germany and Spain now taking up their work for the upcoming three years. The new consortium will be coordinated by the German SME EURICE – European Research and Project Office GmbH. EURICE has been responsible for the training and communication activities of the service already in the previous three years term. The consortium is completed by the Spanish academic partners University of Alicante and University of Navarra as well as the German technology transfer company TUM-Tech GmbH.
More information.

The EC has published a video that encourages new independent experts to register in the Horizon 2020 evaluators data base. The video can be shared via LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube.
The video illustrates the work expert evaluators and monitors carry out, and the benefits they take from this experience. It focuses especially on attracting new experts from underrepresented Member States, experts from the private/business sector, and female experts.

Launch of the European Commission’s Common IP Booster

The European Commission has funded a new service to provide specialised, professional IP advice to European Universities and Public Research Organisations: The European Commission’s Common IP Booster.
Are you:
Generating high-quality research, and eager to improve its impact on the market?
Trying to better address IP issues associated with commercialisation?
Searching for experts who can help you develop a successful intellectual property strategy?
The European Commission’s IP Booster is a free service designed to help you address these challenges. Our carefully selected IP, technology and business strategy experts can examine your research and guide your teams to develop the best intellectual property strategies for your organisation.
The European Commission’s IP Booster can help you:
1.Determine what type and what amount of IP protection you need for your project’s intellectual assets, and whether you need to acquire rights to third party IPRs
2.Design a patent landscape so that you can clearly identify which commercialisation pathways are best for your research
3.Conduct a thorough due diligence assessing the quantity and quality of IP assets generated by your project and estimate their future value
4.Prepare your project’s patent, design and trademark applications
5.Provide advice and support in negotiating technology transfer agreements
Together, The European Commission’s IP Booster will make sure that your research has the best chance of achieving commercial success, at no extra cost to you.
To receive the IP Booster support, you’ll need to apply using the IP Booster service website. The EC won’t be able to help every public research organisation who would like to make use of these services, so please check below if you are eligible.
First call opens on February 6 and closes on March 6. Eligibility criteria are as follows:
The application must originate from a European University or Public Research Organisation
The applicant’s university or organisation must have a PIC (Participant Identification Code)
You must not be able to secure similar IP services at national level
A member of your research group, or your Technology Transfer Office can apply for the first call from now until Wednesday 6 March, and these IP support services will be available until December 2021.
For upcoming calls and FAQs please check the website regularly.
Please address any additional queries to: ipbooster@meta-group.com OR more information.

BREXIT and continued UK Participation in EU Funding for Research, Innovation and Higher Education

We have received several questions about the consequences of a no deal scenario. In this Brexit factsheet (developed by the UK Research Office) you can find the latest information about the current UK situation in relation to Horizon 2020 (H2020) and other EU funding schemes.
Our Austrian colleagues have written down some implications for different H2020 actions which you can find here.
The practical/administrative steps that coordinators/individual fellows/ERC grantees/beneficiaries have to pass through with the European Commission, and when, is not clear yet. We will keep you informed when we receive more information. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have a question for which you don't find an answer on the two aforementioned webpages.

Secure societies

SEREN4 newsletter, February 2019

SEREN4, the Network of Secure Societies National Contact Points has published the first SEREN4 newsletter for 2019. The newsletter deals with the following items: Security policy - reports and initiatives; upcoming International & National Events; upcoming Secure Societies calls;.. and so much more.
The newsletter.